When it comes to the Japanese emperor, everyone is certainly familiar with Emperor Hirohito who provoked World War II, but not very familiar with Hirohito's son, Emperor Akihito.
During this time, Emperor Akihito became a big topic of conversation, because he had decided that he would officially announce his abdication at the end of next month, on April 30, and crown prince Naruhito would take the throne.
The emperor voluntarily announced his abdication while he was alive, which is the first time in Japan's modern history that a bride has been on a sedan for the first time, so why did Emperor Akihito take the initiative to announce his abdication? In fact, this is not a relief for him.
Why?
One is the difference between his philosophy and that of the Japanese cabinet.
As the heir of Emperor Hirohito and a descendant of the mastermind of World War II, the pressure on Emperor Akihito is unimaginable. During his 30 years on the throne, Akihito always held the attitude of atonement for his father's sins and repentance for the war, for which he always refused to visit the so-called "shrine", even at the expense of tit-for-tat confrontation with many ministers. Moreover, he also advocated friendship with China, was the first and only Japanese emperor to personally visit China, and apologized to Chinese.
It is precisely because of these behaviors that the right-wing forces in Japan have long been resentful of the imperial family, for example, it was recently exposed on the Internet that the opinions of Akihito and Shinzo Abe are seriously incompatible, whether true or false, but at least it conveys such a message: Emperor Akihito is deeply disgusted by such pressure.
Therefore, Emperor Akihito's announcement of his abdication also means that he can finally relieve these pressures.
Secondly, it was for internal considerations of the royal family.
Emperor Akihito proclaimed Rikuhito crown prince as soon as January 7, 1989, but naruhito remains childless to this day. Presumably, friends who have seen "Palace Locks and Beads Curtain" know that the most feared thing in the royal family is that the internal members will kill each other for the throne, so Akihito hopes that he will give way to Naruhito sooner, and he will enter the East Palace Imperial Palace to become the "Upper Emperor", which is what we often call the Emperor Taishang. In this way, with their own support in the background, there will be no chaos within the royal family.
Prior to his abdication, Emperor Akihito also made elaborate arrangements for the succession to the throne, and since Naruhito had no heirs, he temporarily appointed his younger brother Fumihito as heir, and after Fumihito, yujin was the crown prince. To worry about this, there is no one left.
Finally, there is his personal marital factor.
Speaking of Emperor Akihito's marriage, it was quite sensational at the time, because he was the first emperor in Japan to marry a commoner woman as empress.
Although his wife Michiko came from a commoner family, she had a solid family, knew the books, and was also a rare good wife and mother, but this seemingly successful marriage was ultimately defeated by the shackles of imperial status.
Because of her commoner background, Michiko has always been discriminated against in the imperial family, and both empress dowager Ryoko and the female officials in charge of court etiquette are critical of her. As for Akihito, although he has the heart to love his wife, he can't do anything because of the complicated rules of the royal family.
After 60 years of "torture", the last bit of love between the two was consumed, and when Michiko was 80 years old, she publicly declared: "I am a human race, it is difficult to match the royal family, I am afraid that I cannot be buried with my husband." ”
The wife who has spent most of her life with herself is forced to be like this, she can't love each other well before she dies, and she can't even be together after death, and no one can bear such a tragedy! All this was due to the identity of the emperor, and now, he can finally be liberated.
The reality is like this, behind those glamorous and beautiful, there is unknown suffering, just as the so-called "beggar has the happiness of a beggar, and the king has the misfortune of a king."